Mentha Gracilis
by Crimson Flame-Blue Rose
Summary: After being ordered to work together on paperwork, Parker and Raymond try to make the best of an awkward and mundane situation. they never imagined that this would be the beginning to an office affair. ParkerxRaymond.


The silence in the room was deafening, almost painful.

Raymond winced when his chair squeaked under his weight, resonating in the shared

office space that he and his superior worked. Parker seemed a bit surprised at the sudden

noise but he didn't falter in his paperwork, much to the redhead's relief.

For awhile Parker had actually tried to lighten the mood when they first stepped into his

office, smiling and joking how paperwork probably wasn't expected in a career that

aimed to fight against bioterrorism. Soon enough, however, Parker's jovial attitude

started to decrease as time crawled by.

Now it all has slowed down to an awkward silence between the two men.

The whole reason the two of them were even sharing the same air space was because

their boss had told them to work together. It wasn't exactly an order, nor was it a request.

Every time Raymond thought back to that scene just moments ago, he would internally

sigh and wish that he wasn't so quick to obey orders.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Ah, Raymond, there you are." Lansdale nodded at the young cadet.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Raymond stood at attention, awaiting orders.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I was hoping that you would help Parker with some

paperwork." Lansdale gestured to the Italian who stood closest to the elder man's desk,

his hand placed over his hip out of boredom. "…Paperwork, sir?" Raymond restrained

himself from frowning in disappointment at the request.

'_This isn't what I've trained for, why do I need to waste my time pushing papers?'_

Raymond thought bitterly as he continued to watch the pair before him.

"Yes, as mundane as it sounds, it is necessary for members to do paperwork every now

and again. Furthermore, it would give you a chance to learn how to cooperate with other

FBC agents." The commissioner adjusted the cuff of his jacket as he spoke.

"I see..well, if that is what is needed then I'll get started then." Raymond nodded.

"Good, see to it that it is all finished by the end of today." He smiled across his clasped

hands, causing an eerie shiver to run down Raymond's spine. "Off you go." He waved

them off as he went back to scribbling something down, signaling their dismissal.

"Come on, cadet, let's get going." Parker gave a polite smile as he walked past and

pushed past the wooden door, sighing when he left the room. Raymond followed close

behind, slipping his hands into the pockets of his black slacks.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Now here they were almost two hours later, hardly having made a dent in the paperwork.

Raymond's ears perked up when he heard Parker release an exasperated sigh, rubbing his

hand along his face. He chanced a glance at the other man out of curiosity, clearly seeing

that Parker had grown tired of their shared burden. _'He's hating this as much as I am…'_

Raymond somehow felt comforted that Parker shared his feelings of boredom and

resentment towards the task at hand. At the least, Parker proved his humanity…

"I never realized that there were so many reports to file.." Parker forced a smile at the

recruit, hoping that a conversation would help pass the time. Raymond gave a humorless

laugh and a short nod in response, inwardly wishing that he knew what to say to

contribute to the man's banter.

"I would think that the secretaries would've handled this." Raymond rubbed his sore

shoulder after having sat in one position for so long, inwardly cursing when he felt a

sharp pain. Parker leaned back in his chair on the other side of the desk they both shared,

stretching his back to relieve the stiffness.

"Say, how about we take a break and go get something to eat? I don't know about you

but I'm starved." Parker grinned. "Sure." Raymond stood up from his seat, hissing when

feeling returned to his legs. "A break might just be what we need to pull through this."

Parker got up from his seat and walked around his desk to open the door.

"An energy boost would be nice.." Raymond nodded as he walked through the doorway

first, feeling watched as he walked ahead of his superior. He wondered why he was

feeling so nervous all the sudden, trying his best to shake off the feeling.

"I'm buying." Parker stated simply, taking Raymond by surprise.

"You don't have to, I can pay my own way." He protested, causing Parker to chuckle.

"Don't worry about it, cadet. It'll be my treat." The Italian winked.

Raymond felt his cheeks heat up from the offer, opting to look ahead instead of the man

that still walked closely beside him. _'What's wrong with me today..?'_

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The cafe was barely inhabited by any other FBC agents.

It wasn't all that surprising considering that it was a Saturday night, most of the other

agents would've gone home early hours ago. It was kind of nice to have the space to

themselves, neither man could stand the bustle of a crowd after working for so long on

boring paperwork in a cramped space with just the two of them together.

"Nice to have a change of scenery, huh cadet?" Parker grinned as he walked up to the

food line eagerly. Raymond was a bit irked by the apparent nickname given to him by the

other man, but was hesitant to speak his mind on the matter. He honestly didn't want to

say anything that could jeopardize what partnership they had at the moment, fearing that

it would make everything awkward once more.

Raymond grabbed a clear plastic plate before helping himself to a

couple of sandwiches and a bottle of water before taking his seat next to the Italian.

Raymond tried to keep a neutral look on his face once he saw the haul of food on

Parker's plate, tickled by the sight. _'Should've known he was big on food.'_

The beefier of the two indulged in two burgers, fries and a soda.

"That's all you're eating?" Parker took a sip of his drink as he glanced at Raymond's

plate, causing Raymond's face to crack into an embarrassed grin. "Agents need to have

lots of energy while at work, you should get into the habit of expanding your stomach."

Parker chuckled as he munched on a burger, licking his lips of ketchup.

"I'll keep that in mind.." Raymond trailed off as he looked out the window.

The sunset was beautiful at this time in the evening, the sky was painted with red and

orange and just a touch of gold. Raymond felt himself smile a bit at the view,

remembering how little he saw of the outside world ever since he signed his name on the

contract. "It's nice to see you relax." Parker's thick accent broke him from his thoughts.

"Huh?" Raymond was caught off guard as he stared blankly at the other man.

"You shouldn't be so serious, boy, it's not good for you." Parker unwrapped another

burger as he continued to lecture the redhead. Well, at least Raymond _felt_ like he was

being lectured by him. "I try to be _professional_." Raymond corrected him.

Parker snorted at the snappy comeback, before dipping some fries into ketchup.

It had seemed that the both of them were getting a little grouchy…

Raymond mentally kicked himself for being quick to snap back at Parker like that,

hoping that he didn't hurt the other man's feelings by implying that Parker was

unprofessional. The redhead opted for eating his sandwich to help keep his mouth shut.

The sandwich itself was somewhat satisfying, disappointing that the bread was soggy

from the lettuce and tomatoes. Raymond noticed that almost everyone had left the café,

leaving him alone with the other man. Once again, an awkward silence had settled.

All that Raymond could hear were the cooks in the kitchen and the rustle of Parker's

burger wrapper. _'Come on, say something!'_ Raymond pursed his lips together as he tried

to think of something interesting to talk about, eyeing the other man as if he could read

what he might want to discuss.

"…What do you do when you're not working?" Raymond suddenly broke the silence.

"Hm? Oh, I…" Parker trailed off as he glanced at the floor in deep thought, apparently

not expecting Raymond to attempt to carry a conversation.

"I try to rest as much as I can. To be honest, it can be very tiring to work a job like this.

It's nice to go home and sleep in late, you know?" Parker smiled lightly as he watched

Raymond's face change subtly. "Really? I didn't expect that from you.." Raymond

replied thoughtfully before taking a sip of water. "What about you?" Parker asked as he

continued to munch on his fries. Raymond was distracted when Parker licked his lips,

presumably erasing any remnants of salt from the fries.

"I..don't have much time to myself after work, so I like to listen to Jazz to unwind."

Raymond mumbled bashfully, noticing the smile that crossed Parker's lips.

"Jazz, huh?" Parker quirked an eyebrow at the unexpected remark.

"Yeah, it helps me relax." A small smile graced the redhead's lips.

A moment of silence dropped over the pair. But oddly, this one was more comfortable.

It had been a long time since Raymond had talked with anyone like this, being far away

from home and not having very many friends at the FBC kept him isolated.

He realized that Parker was nice to talk to, feeling comfortable to talk about anything.

So much so, he worried that he would reveal too much of himself than was necessary…

The crumpling of a wrapper brought Raymond back to his senses, realizing that the sound

came from the burger wrapper as Parker crushed it into a ball.

"Well, should we head back and try to tackle the paperwork again?" Parker gave an

encouraging smile as he gathered his trash on his plate before standing up.

"Yeah, maybe now it'll go by much quicker." Raymond nodded as he got up and

gathered the mess on the table before throwing it away in the garbage.

'_He's so easy to talk to, why was I ever nervous around him?'_

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The duo sat and continued to work for another few hours, noticing that it was more

pleasant and comfortable between the two of them. It had also grown incredibly dark

outside, proof that they had worked themselves well into the night.

Raymond glanced at the clock and felt a bit annoyed that it had taken so long to get to the

point they were at, wishing that they had formed a group instead of trying to churn it out

by themselves. _'Apparently the commissioner doesn't always think ahead…'_

Raymond noticed Parker brushing his bangs away from his face before cupping his chin

in his hand. "I could get us some coffee, want some?" Raymond suddenly spoke, causing

Parker to raise his glance from his desk. "That would be great.." Parker sighed gratefully

before leaning back and stretching his arms and legs with a groan.

Raymond gave a small smile before pushing himself up from his seat.

The redhead yelped when his foot caught on one of the legs on Parker's desk, tripping

and falling towards the floor.

Raymond was surprised when two strong arms wrapped around his chest and caught him

from falling. "Parker.." he glanced back at the Italian as he was steadied.

"Are you alright?" Parker asked as he helped Raymond regain his footing, but didn't let

go of the other man. Raymond stood awkwardly as Parker continued to press his chest

against the redhead's back, feeling his cheeks redden. "Y-yeah..I'm fine."

Placing a hand over one of the Italian's hands on his chest, he pondered on whether or not

to pull himself free. It would be a lie to say that Raymond didn't enjoy the contact, it was

comforting to be held so close like this. "You can let go now, Parker.." he mumbled.

The complete opposite occurred when Parker slowly leaned in to smell Raymond's neck,

his nose tickling him and making him shiver.

"You smell like mint…I like that…" Parker purred in Raymond's ear.

Raymond's heart skipped a beat when Parker cautiously pressed his lips against his neck,

biting his lip when the Italian started to suck on the sensitive skin.

Since Parker hadn't been stopped he had assumed that this type of contact was welcomed

and then proceeded to caress Raymond's chest sensually. The redhead shivered when his

nipples hardened in excitement, releasing a shivering breath. Parker smirked as he then

slid his hand down to cup the front of Raymond's pants, giving it an experimental

squeeze.

A sharp cry escaped Raymond's lips as Parker fondled him, dropping his head against

Parker's shoulder before bucking into the hand.

"You like that?" Parker whispered as one hand continued to fondle Raymond while the

other hand caressed his chest, relishing the lithe form he held in his arms.

"Yes..Ah-! hahh…mm.." Raymond moaned as he enjoyed Parker's touch.

The Italian stopped so he could turn Raymond around to face him, placing his hand on

the back of his head to pull him in for a kiss. Raymond placed his hand on Parker's

shoulder as he was kissed, moving his hand to caress Parker's soft brown hair.

Parker pulled on Raymond's lower lip as his hands traveled down to grip and massage

Raymond's ass, chuckling when Raymond moaned.

Parker felt incredibly lucky to be in this position, worshipping Raymond's body.

He had kept an eye on the young redhead, finding it odd yet admirable that the cadet was

so willing to listen and follow orders. Many other cadets in the same batch were very

arrogant and trigger happy, needing more time to curb their rogue attitudes.

He had never imagined being given an opportunity to get to know the younger man, truly

believing that he would just be another face in the crowd. But no, Raymond Vester was

different from the other agents. His mannerisms and personality were obscure and

intriguing, to say the least.

Although he did feel slightly guilty for coming on to the rookie and surprising him like

this. But when he had tripped he just couldn't let him fall, even though the hit to his

supposed ego might have done him some good. It was his unique smell that drove him to

act upon his primal impulses, unable to recall any past lover that smelled of mint…

Parker lightly nibbled on Raymond's neck, smelling him once more and feeling aroused.

The smell of mint was strong, it burned his nostrils yet smelled faintly sweet.

Raymond purred as Parker nibbled on his neck, smiling to himself as he nipped at his

superior's ear. "Are you alright with this?" Parker quirked an eyebrow as he smiled.

Raymond nodded in response, causing Parker to wink in return.

The Italian lightly pulled on Raymond's blue and white striped tie, pulling him closer.

"I need you to bend over.." Parker purred as he began to unbuckle Raymond's pants and

slid them down to his ankles. Raymond did as he was told, albeit with a hint of shyness.

The redhead bent forward over Parker's desk, his palms planted firmly on the polished

wood. He could hear the zipper of Parker pants and some rustling behind him, looking

behind him to see Parker's pants around his ankles and his green flannel shirt unbuttoned.

The Italian loosened Raymond's tie for him before dropping it onto the desk and started

to unbutton Raymond's white shirt, pinching a nipple.

Raymond took it upon himself to remove his white shirt, not wanting to dirty it.

Parker smiled to himself as he followed suit and removed his shirt, thinking that he would

be more comfortable without it straining against his arms.

"Ah, before I forget.." Parker quickly walked around his desk to open a drawer, pulling

out a small bottle before returning to his place behind Raymond.

"What's that?" Raymond looked at Parker suspiciously as he unscrewed the cap and

poured a yellow-tinted gel into his hand. "Olive oil, I sometimes eat sandwiches in here.."

Parker grinned as he slipped a finger inside of Raymond, swirling and pulling the digit

in and out. Raymond felt a bit disgusted being lubricated with used olive oil but since

nothing else was on hand he had no choice but to make do with it.

A second finger was added and Raymond began to feel more aroused, grunting painfully

when a third additional finger slipped inside. "A tight fit, huh? Sorry about that.." Parker

apologized with a chuckle, reaching around to lightly stroke Raymond's cock.

Raymond moaned and impulsively bucked into Parker's hand to add more friction,

huffing in disappointment when Parker stopped stroking him. "Sorry but we can't have

you coming too soon, Ray." Parker began to position his member before slowly easing

himself into Raymond, one hand holding onto Raymond's hip.

Raymond was taken aback by the new nickname that Parker had given him, smiling to

himself the more he repeated it in his mind.

Parker groaned at the tightness around his cock, noticing how Raymond shivered in front

of him. Raymond bit his lip and braced himself on Parker's desk, waiting for him to stop

moving. Parker finally filled Raymond and paused so that the redhead could take a

moment to get used to the feeling, giving Parker's length an experimental squeeze.

The Italian grunted in response and wrapped an arm around Raymond's chest as the other

hand held onto the cadet's hip firmly. Raymond blushed when he felt Parker's chest press

up against his back, feeling the heat emanating off his skin and how his heartbeat pulsed.

Parker nuzzled his face in Raymond's neck, breathing in his scent before thrusting into

him. Raymond hissed at the first couple thrusts but soon began to groan as it became

more pleasurable. "Ohhh….hahh…" Raymond moaned, bending over more.

"Ughh..Ray…nnh.." Parker groaned as he began to gain momentum, thrusting into

Raymond faster. Raymond felt Parker wrap his hand around his cock and stroke it faster

than he was moving within him. "Ahh-! P-Parker…! Hahhh..f-faster!" Raymond breathed

lustfully as his hands clenched into fists.

Parker enjoyed the sight of Raymond arching his back as he rapidly reached his climax.

"That's it, Ray..come for me…" Parker smiled as Raymond trembled in his arms.

A fluttering feeling began in the pit of Raymond's stomach before every part of his being

stiffened as he reached orgasm. "Ahhh…oh! Ah-!" Raymond released a sharp cry as he

stiffened before slumping on Parker's desk in a hot, breathy heap.

Parker groaned as he finally reached his own orgasm, fingers digging into Raymond's

hips. Raymond struggled to catch his breath, completely exhausted from the effort.

The Italian chuckled as he pulled out from Raymond and wrapped his arms around the

redhead affectionately. "Did you enjoy it, Ray?" he purred as he kissed Raymond's

cheek. "Mmm-yeah…" Raymond drawled absent-mindedly.

"Good.." Parker gave a light smack to Raymond's ass before pulling his pants up.

Raymond yelped and stood up after getting slapped, clearly not expecting it.

The redhead sheepishly pulled his pants back up and retrieved his shirt.

"Come here." Parker enticed the cadet as he laid back on the leather couch.

"But.." Raymond blinked in confusion, thinking that he would return home.

"It's late, and we're both too tired to drive home. So, let's sleep here." Parker winked.

Dropping the belt with a defeated sigh, Raymond walked over to the couch and laid down

beside the Italian, enjoying the contact they now shared. "That's better, isn't it?" Parker

sighed happily as he pulled a quilt over the both of them, wrapping his arms around the

other man. Raymond snuggled closer to Parker, laying his head on his shoulder.

Raymond gave a quick peck on Parker's lips before closing his eyes.

"Good night, cadet…" Parker yawned before closing his eyes to sleep.

'_Stop calling me that, dammit…'_ Raymond mused before drifting off.

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Raymond walked towards his destination with a folder in hand, mildly bored.

He honestly wanted to see some action and do some good, feeling more than ready to

move past boring paperwork and training sessions.

A certain bearded man caught his attention as he realized they were passing each other in

the hallway.

A small smile crossed his face as he quickened his step and then lightly brushed his hand

along Parker's arm before continuing on his way, hearing Parker chuckle in response.

The two had grown closer since that night a few weeks ago, it was the beginning of an

unexpected relationship. Whenever he was given an opportunity, Raymond would jump

at the chance to work alongside Parker, uncaring if it was paperwork or not.

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Raymond wore a frown as he continued to type away on his computer, ever resentful of

the mounting reports that no one else cared to write up themselves.

A sudden tap near his hand brought his attention to a folded up piece of paper.

The redhead snapped his head back to see Parker winking before walking off.

Steady hands opened the crude note, green eyes scanning the handwriting.

'_Meet me in my office at 10PM tonight. – P'_

Raymond smiled to himself at the invitation.

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Upon closing the door, Raymond wrapped his arms around Parker and kissed him

deeply. Parker chuckled at Raymond's feverish groping, slipping his tongue into the

redhead's mouth. Raymond moaned as he quickly grew aroused.

"Glad you could come.." Parker held Raymond close, giving a peck to his forehead.

"Happy to be here." Raymond smirked as he all but tore off his shirt in preparation of

being ravaged by the Italian.

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"Jessica, why are we staying here so late?" Rachael pouted as she and her friend strolled

in the hallway, after dark no less. "I keep hearing about these rumors of the so called

'Nymphos Of The Night' around here and I want to get to the bottom of it, don't

you?" Jessica grinned at her blonde friend. "No, I think it's disturbing that we're staying

late at the office looking for a couple of sex addicts." Rachael flung her hair behind her

shoulders, crossing her arms in boredom. "Hmph, you're no fun." Jessica sighed.

A loud moan erupted in the hallway, catching the pair's attention.

"Hey, I think we might've found them!" Jessica grinned wolfishly as she took off in the

direction of the sound. "Jessica, no!" Rachael hissed in a hushed whisper.

Jessica opened the door a crack, just enough to see inside.

The brunette's mouth hung open in shock at the sight, catching Rachael's attention.

"Who is it? What are they doing?" Rachael's curiosity was piqued and got the better of

her, tainting her reservations. "See for yourself.." Jessica smiled.

Parker sat naked on the leather couch with Raymond sitting in his lap, bouncing up and

down on his cock. Both men were moaning shamelessly as they made love.

"Oh-!" Rachael's squeal was muffled by Jessica's hand before the door was shut.

"I had no idea…" Jessica chuckled before pulling Rachael away from the door and out of

earshot of the two men inside. "I-I can't believe we saw them naked!" Rachael blushed a

deep red as she covered her mouth. "What are you complaining about? You've always

wanted to see Raymond naked and now you have, be happy." Jessica playfully nudged

her friend. "I wanted to _bed_ him not see him screwed by _another guy_!" Rachael fumed

jealously before stomping off down the hall.

(end)

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I had been meaning to write this for quite awhile but I worried that it would be too short.

Thankfully, I balanced it out with the café bit, which I hope will add more depth to

Raymond's character but if it's still unexplained then I guess that's alright too.

I know that some writers like to come up with a plot before choosing a name and I do that

a lot too, but sometimes I actually pick a name first before thinking of a plot.

Mentha Gracilis means Gingermint, which I felt symbolized Raymond in a sense.

Well, Raymond is a redhead and I had always imagined him smelling like mint,

for some strange reason…

I should probably try to break out of writing all these stories that take place in

Terragrigia, because it's getting repetitive. But it's _so_ easy to write about though!

Hope you enjoyed the story, more to come!

Lin


End file.
